It is desirable to hang strings of lights on objects, such as trees. One of the most popular reasons and times for hanging such lights is in the winter during the Christmas season. Many different kinds of light strings are manufactured for location and/or holiday decorations. Previously, most of the light strings used incandescent bulbs; most are now are manufactured with LED lights. In either configuration, the light string had a power supply connector on one end and a power cord extended distally from the power supply connector along a given length. In the U.S., the power supply connector typically took the form of a two-prong (male), 110V electrical mains plug. Typical lengths for the power cord were 5′, 6′, 10′, 12′, 20′, for example. The lights were electrically connected to the power cord virtually along the entire length. In other words, a characteristic of all such light strings is that the first light started at a very short distance from the power supply connector, for example, one or two feet at most from the power supply connector. There was a reason why the first light started very close to the power supply connector. Most light strings were designed to be connected in series. Therefore, a female electrical socket (e.g., for the male 110V electrical mains plug) was electrically connected at the distal end of the power cord opposite the power supply connector. In this manner, light strings could be extended for long lengths. One example for creating a long length was to wrap around the trunk of a tree and spiral along the trunk's length. If the first light was far away from the plug, and conversely, if the last light was far away from the female electrical socket, then there would be a visual discontinuity in the extended light string, which discontinuity was visually unappealing. Accordingly, prior art light strings were made to have the lights appear visually as a single string with no gaps. To do this, the first light and the last light on the light string were located carefully near or at the plug or the socket, respectively.
To hang these light strings on a vertical structure, for example, from a branch of a tree, the user desired to have the lights start at the branch and extend downwards from that branch. This is because it is not visually appealing to have lights go from the ground up to the branch and then over and down from the branch. Accordingly, to have the desired light structure hanging from the branch, the user needed to connect a non-lighted power extension cord to the mains plug and have the non-lighted power extension cord hang from one side of the branch and the light string hang from the other side of the branch. This desired configuration, however, posed physical and mechanical problems. First, the user needed to know how to place the distal end of the non-lighted power cord (having a female mains socket) at the object over which the cord is hung, e.g., the branch. Next, the user needed to know how to place the light string's mains plug (at its proximal end) at or near the branch so that the first light started at or near the branch and the remaining lights. Third, the user needed to know how get this two-part connection over the branch in the first place. Fourth, the user needed to insure that the mains plug remained attached to the non-lighted power cord while placing the cord-light string over the branch. Fifth, the user needed to know how to prevent the mains plug from being removed from the non-lighted power cord while the two were hanging over the branch.
When a user tried to place the distal end of the non-lighted power extension cord (having a female mains socket) at the branch, the user first threw the male mains plug of the power cord over the branch sufficiently far enough to allow the weight of the plug and cord on the other side of the branch to pull the female side of the power cord up to the branch. However, if the user did not hold onto the female side of the power cord, that cord just went over one side and weight of the cord brought the entire cord over the branch. To prevent the power cord from just being thrown over the branch, the user plugged the male mains plug into the female socket of the power cord and threw the male end of the power cord over the branch. That male end was pulled until the female end of the power cord was located at the branch. However, the weight of the light string on the near side of the branch routinely caused it to slide out of the female end of the power cord, entirely defeating the process of placing the cord-light string on the branch. One way to insure this connection remained was to tape the two connected ends together. However, not only did this destroy the ends of the cord and light string over time due to the adhesive, but also some tape did not work to keep the connection and/or the tape left sticky residue on the cord ends. As such, use of tape was not desirable. Further, branches are not typically smooth, and branches contain many smaller branches and leaves that are not smooth. Accordingly, the power cord and/or its ends typically snagged on the branches and/or leaves. If the male end thrown over the branch snagged, it did not go over the branch at all. If the female end of the power cord snagged, the cord might not be able to be pulled down from the branch after use was ended. Further, the elements, such as wind acting on the connection between the power cord and the light string, which wind moved the branches considerably, routinely caused the connection of the power cord and the light string to separate, even if connected together by tape.
Thus, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art systems, designs, and processes as discussed above.